Flight interconnecting and drive means



Aug. 7, 1956 G. F. H. VON STROH ET AL 2,757,784

FLIGHT INTERCONNECTING AND DRIVE MEANS -'''.'1. 6/ llllllllllll E QEINVENTORS Garza/0 F/v. Von Sf/"0h o Howard J. Thomas BY 1 S %M ATTORNEYAug. 7, 1956 G. F- H. VON STROH Ef AL 2,757,784

FLIGHT INTERCONNECTING AND DRIVE MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 1,1955 INVENTORS Ma ra mm Um V07 HJ. Ed

Z Y ATTORNEY 2,757,784 Patented Aug. 7, 1956 FLIGHT INTERCONNECTIN G ANDDRIVE MEANS Gerald F. H. van Stroh and Howard J. Thomas, Huntington, W.Va., assignors to Bituminous Coal Research, Inc., Washington, D. 'C., acorporation of Delaware Application April 1, 1955, Serial No. 498,533 2Claims. (Cl. 198-175) This invention relates to flight conveyor systemsand more particularly to a convenient means of interconnection of theseparate flights to the drag link chain used for propelling them, andalso to improved means to drive such flights in the usual manner.

In the past, it has been common to employ link chain as the drive meansfor a series of flights in conveyors of this type; however, the mannerof interconnection of the flight is usually cumbersome in the sense thatthe flights are more or less permanently afiixed to the drag chains andcan not be removed or replaced without the greatest of difliculty.Furthermore, systems of the prior art employ flights which are spaced agiven distance apart and so interconnected to the side propelling chainthat such distance can not be readily varied.

In our structure, the linkage to the drag link chain is such that abroken flight can be readily replaced, the separate flights can beeasily spaced at different distances when desired and new flightsreadily interconnected with the propelling means with the greatest ofconvenience.

The use of link chain may not be as common as other drive means incertain industries, particularly the coal mining industry. One reason isbecause the cog wheels generally employed to drive such chain becomeeasily clogged by the debris or fines of coal necessarily present whenmachinery of this type is used. In our invention, we use this simplemethod of interconnection of the separate flights in conjunction with adrive sprocket which is self-cleaning in the sense that by reason of itsconstruction, lumps or fines of coal are precluded from jamming inbetween the teeth of the sprocket in such fashion as to derail, createan undue amount of wear upon, or otherwise interfere with the properfunctioning of the sprocket. The sprocket of our invention is of suchdesign as to also offer the utmost support to link chains, providing fora close fit thereof without undesirable slack in between the links, andproviding also for a substantial bearing surface for each link as itengages the driving teeth of the sprocket.

It is thus a primary object of our invention to provide an easy,convenient and simplified means and method of interconnection of flightsin conveyor systems to drag link chains.

It is a further objective of the invention to provide a unique draginterconnecting link by means of which each side of each flight can beeasily connected and disconnected to the drag chain, thus permittingremoval and replacement of flights and changing of spacing of flights atthe desire of the conveyor operator.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a drive sprocket fordrag chains which is self-cleaning during operation, thus prohibitingjamming of the sprocket in such fashion as to derail or otherwiseinterfere with that means as a driving media for such chain.

An additional objective of our invention is the provision of a sprocketfor drag link chains which offers a complete and substantial bearingsurface for each link of the drag chain as it encounters the severalteeth of the sprocket when the latter is driving the system.

Having the foregoing objectives and advantages in mind, reference willnow be made to the drawings of our invention which disclose a preferredembodiment thereof and in which:

Figure l is a side elevation view of one side of the drive and linkageinterconnection system, broken at the center thereof;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the invention taken on v the line 2-2 ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a section view of the invention taken on the line 3-3 ofFigure 2;

Figure 4 is a side view of the chain link drive sprocket; and

Figure 5 is a section view taken on the line 55 of Figure 4.

Having more particular reference to these various figures, it will beseen that the particular type of flight, drag chain interconnection anddrag chain sprocket can be utilized in almost any type of flightsupporting means, here generally taking the configuration of two sideplates 1 and 2 having lower supporting flanges 3 and upper flanges 4.

Centrally and in between such side plates is affixed a bed or supportingmeans for the individual flights in their longitudinal travel during theconveying operation, such bed being indicated by the numeral 5.

The flights as herein shown are, in cross-section, of T-formation andare generally indicated at 10 (Figure 1). This T-formation takes theshape of a horizontal element 12 and an upright piece 15 positioned atright angles to such base 12. It will be appreciated that the upright15, as depicted in Figures 1 and 3, is the actual conveying means forsuch substances as are being conveyed, particularly coal or ores ofvarious types.

Each of the flights is connected to the drag chain, generally indicatedat 50, in the following manner: each upright 15 of each flight at therespective ends thereof is apertured with two openings 20 and 25, allfour of such openings being' in alignment with each other as respectsthe flight itself. As will be appreciated from an inspection of Figure3, these openings are in horizontal alignment as there shown.

In between each pair of such openings 20 and 25 are two additionalopenings or apertures 30, one disposed above the other or in verticalalignment with respect to each flight. Hence, each flight has four suchapertures 30, located in the manner just described, on each sidethereof. These series of openings are adapted to receive and maintain inposition the drag link connectors generally indicated at 35.

The structure of each drag link connector 35 is peculiar in the,following respects: the greater portion 36 of each drag link connectoris U-shape in formation with the overall Width of the U 36 beingapproximately the same as the width of the links of the driving chain50. The rod diameter of the U-shaped interconnecting link 35 isapproximately the same as that of the rod out of which individual linksof the drag chain are made. Thus, each drag link connector can be easilyinserted into the chosen link in the chain 50. This is done in themanner illustrated most clearly in Figure 2 of the above referred todrawings.

This main body portion 36 of each drag link connector 35, or theU-shaped portion thereof, terminates in two right-angular projections37, as also clearly represented in Figure 2. The projections 37 are thusadapted to fit into the openings 30 previously described as being oneach side of each flight as shown in Figure 3. It will be understoodthat when the connector link 35 is inserted into a link ofthe drivingchain 50 and the projections 37 positioned as described, the link isthen conveniently held in place as follows: shims or gibs 38, suitablyapertured, are welded or otherwise aflixed in any usual manner to theupright portions 15 of each flight in such way that the aperturesthereof, which are of the same size as the inner apertures 25, maycoincide with the latter. Such shims are of a thickness whichapproximates the thickness of the rod used to make each link andpreferably slightly in excess thereof. After positioning each drag linkconnector 36 in the manner shown and described, a surmounting plate 40is placed over each shim 41 and over the U-shaped portion 36 of eachconnector. It is then secured in place by a series of bolts 46, as willbe well understood.

Obviously the plates 40 are provided with bores in two places in suchmanner that the bores coincide with the apertures 20 and 25,respectively, previously described as being on each side of each flight.When so positioned and following the insertion of the usual type ofbolts 45, a tightening of the nuts 46 of the latter results in firmlyaflixing the individual connectors 35 between the upright 15 and plates40. With the connector prongs or rightangular extensions 37 located inthe appropriate apertures 30 and the assembly thus clamped in place, itis readily appreciated that a connecting structure results which isgreat in strength and durability, yet easily subject to removal andreplacement.

As stated, the drag chain and flight assembly are driven by means ofsprockets of a design conducive to elimination of any foreign mattersuch as lumps or fines of coal between the individual teeth of suchsprockets and the drag chain 50 which is driven thereby.

The preferred embodiment of our sprocket is represented in Figures 4 and5 where it is seen that the type herein shown has six teeth. These arecircumferentially mounted upon the periphery of the usual type of hub60, the latter being provided with the usual keyway 62. Such teeth aredesigned to assert the driving force by pressure exerted upon thoselinks of the chain which lay flat with respect to the periphery of thehub. Such links are here designated by the letter A as contrasted bylinks B which may be said to rest vertically with respect to the bed 5.In other words, viewing Figure 1, it is seen that the centrally located,pyramidal shaped teeth are interposed around each end of a given link,the latter, as mentioned, being those links which, after leaving thesprocket, are horizontally disposed with respect to the bed 5 of theconveyor assembly.

The teeth of the drag chain sprockets are generally individuallyindicated at 61. Each of these have flat exterior side portions 65 and66 which are disposed perpendicularly with respect to the axis of thehub. Each tooth 61 is split down the middle with a groove 62 whichextends from the top surface of each tooth to the hub itself asindicated in Figure 5. This groove 62 is slightly greater in width thanthe outside diameter of the particular size rod used in the links of thedrag chain and, as shown, is made with parallel, or approximatelyparallel, sides. The tooth 61 is thus segmented with each segment beingprovided with smaller teeth, the teeth which actually contact and drivethe drag chain. These are indicated in Figure 5 at 65a and 66a. They areformed by cutting out segments 72 on each side thereof so as to form adrive tooth of the configuration shown in Figure 4. These elements, 65aand 66a, are thus formed with a terminating ridge 70 on each sidethereof. In viewing Figure 4, the edges or ridges 70 of each separatetooth are in line with the same representative edges of an adjacenttooth. The portions 70 thus form a working surface upon which thehorizontal links (or links A tangential to the hub) of the chain rest.It will further be appreciated that grooves 62, reaching down to theperiphery of the hub, permit the vertical links H of the chain to remainin the position shown while being driven by this type of chain sprocket.

An additional groove 75 (Figure 4) also extends down to the hub. Thisgroove, as seen in the referred to figure,

4 is cut in between each of the segments 61 and, as there appears, isformed parallel to the axis of rotation of the sprocket.

The purpose of the latter groove is to provide a substantial clearancebetween the horizontally positioned links A of the chain 50 and theperiphery of the hub 60. This affords a substantial space between linksand hub, thus facilitating the discharge of any particles, agglomeratesof particles or lumps of coal or ore which become imbedded in betweenthe chain and the teeth of the individual sprockets. Since the chain isdriven by the hearing of the surfaces of the teeth 65a and 66a againstthe horizontal links A of the chain, such links are open andunobstructed during the drive procedure. This is, of course, unlike theusual type of sprocket drive wherein the teeth of the individualsprockets are designed to fit into the several openings of each link ofchain. In such case, discharge of foreign matter between chain andsprocket is difficult, if not impossible, with consequent inordinatewear of the chain drive assemblies.

With both grooves 62 and formed in the sprocket in the manner indicated,and naturally intersecting in the center of the hub at points in betweeneach tooth, consequent and natural vibration during operation of such anassembly causes loose granular material to pass along groove 75 and,fall out upon either side of the sprocket.

It is, of course, apparent that the sprockets are designed for mountingon the usual drive shaft and, to this end, keys 81 interlock shaft andsprocket in an appropriate manner.

Experience with the assembly hercinbefore described has proven theadaptability of this form of flight conveyor and chain drive therefor toheavy types of machinery. This is particularly true of mining machinerywhich is so clearly subject to contact with excessive amounts of looseearth, rock, lumps of coal or coal fines. In this particular field ofindustry, it is essential that such machinery, ofter difficult tolubricate in known ways, must be so designed that jamming does not takeplace under ordinary usage. As a practical matter, we have found thatthe use of the flight system here disclosed is not only convenient andeconomical but also saves many man hours by reason, of the simplicitywith which the flights can be removed, replaced and interchanged.

Similarly, we have found that if such a drive and interconnecting Systemis used with flights of the described type, the. conjoint use ofsprockets conforming to this invention produces an overall mechanismthat is trouble free in all practical application and not subject toinordinate wear.

Although designs of flight interconnection and drive sprockets ofrelated nature are known to the art, experience; has indicated that thecombination herein described and, claimed, by reason of its relativesimplicity and. ease of handling, is. far superior to those known to theart.

I claim:

1. In a flight drive and interconnecting assembly for flight conveyors,a. series. of flights, drag link chain of predetermined rod diameter oneach side of said flights, means to drive said chain, and means tointerconnect said flights to said, chain, said means including a dragchain interconnecting link having two opposed parallel arms spaced aparta distance approximating the width of the links of said chain, said.arms terminating in two respective projections right-angular to each ofsaid arms, said flights having apertures on each side to receive saidprojections. and shim and bolt means in association with saidinterconnecting kin-k and said flights to maintain said projections inthe apertures of said flights.

2. In a flight drive and interconnecting assembly for flight conveyors,a. series of flights, drag link chain of predetermined rod diameter oneach side of said flights, means to drive said chain, and means tointerconnect said flights to said chain, said means including a dragchain interconnecting link having two opposed parallel arms spaced aparta distance approximating the width of the links of said chain, said armsterminating in two projecto secure said shim, plate and projections infixed retions right-angular to said arms, said flights havingaperlationship.

tures on each side to receive said projections, additional bores on eachside of said flights positioned inboard and References Cited in the fileof this Patent outboard of said respective apertures, means to main- 5UNITED STATES PATENTS tain said interconnecting link in place comprisinga shim 774,182 Johnston 8 1904 adjacent and inboard of said apertures, aremovable plate on said shim having openings to coincide with saidFOREIGN PATENTS bores, bolt means securing said projections in saidaper- 19,753 Great Britain Oct. 2, 1899 tures and said arms between saidplate and each side of 10 35,293 Sweden Aug. 6, 1913 said flights, andadditional bolt means in said openings 454,781 Great Britain Oct. 7,1936

